Ricci Scholars
Ricci Scholars
The Ricci Scholars Program is an innovative research and cultural immersion program organized around the theme of the meeting of East and West. It provides unparalleled opportunities for students to connect study abroad, experiential learning, and firsthand international research experience. This cultural immersion brings together the cultures of East and West in an educational context that reflects the complexities and opportunities of the 21st century.
The most valuable skill? Research Experience.
This program provides round-trip airfare and research funds, as well as mentorship and research support, to students to spend their junior year studying and conducting cross-cultural research at Loyola's Rome Center for the fall semester, followed by a destination in East Asia for the spring semester. There are several options in East Asia: Kansai Gaidai University (Hirakata, Japan), Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong, SAR), and Hanyang University (Seoul, South Korea).
Students prepare their research proposals and apply to the Ricci Scholars Program as sophomores, conduct research and take courses abroad as juniors, and present their projects and receive the formal graduation honor of Ricci Scholar as seniors.
Launched in the Fall of 2007, the Ricci Scholars Program is supported through a generous gift from a donor to Loyola.
Loyola Today
For Loyola’s Ricci Scholars, research is a global pursuit
Learn how Ricci Scholars design projects exploring diverse cultural approaches to global issues, fostering significant personal growth and providing invaluable skills for their futures.
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Hear from an Alum
Ricci Scholars Welcome Video
“Truly the best choice I could have made during my college career.”
Watch Video
Current Student Projects
2025-26 Ricci Scholars
The Ricci candidates for 2025-26 will spend the academic year studying and doing research at the John Felice Rome Center in the fall semester and in East Asia in the spring semester.
Awardees and Their Projects